Railway cattle-guard.



P. A. PHENEY.

RAILWAY CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24. I916.

1 ,21 9,036. Patented Mar. '13, 1917.

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PATRICK A. PHENEY, OF NAIVIPA, IDAHO.

' t RAILWAY CATTLE-GUARD.

Application filed March 24, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, PATRICK A. PHENEY,

a citizen of the Jnited States, residing at Nampa, in the county of Canyon and State G of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Cattle- Guards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to railway cattle guards, such as are employed at highway crossings to prevent cattle passing therefrom over railway tracks and entering upon the right of way, or inclosed grounds.

The object of the invention is to produce an efiicient and relatively inexpensive guard in unit sections, which may be used between and at the sides of the track rails of single or multiple track roads, and which shall effectively prevent the passage of animals, 3 large and small.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of a short section of railway track equipped with the improved guard;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one unit section of the guard.

Prior to this invention, various forms of 0 guards had been proposed, some of which present similarities of appearance and form, and have the same general purpose as that now to be described: but so far as I am aware, none has fulfilled so perfectly as this the several objects above noted.

Referring again to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, A indicates one of the unit sections of the guard, of which four will ordinarily be used for each track or pair of rails, this being of course duplicated at opposite sides of the wagon road or highway.

Each section consists of a single sheet of metal, as iron or steel, of suitable thickness and of a width appropriate to the gage or width of track. For standard steam railway gage a width of two feet will usually be suitable. as two such sections laid edge to edge will guard the space between the rails 9 of a pair, and leave the proper clearance or space for the flanges of the wheels of the rolling stock; but it is of course understood that any appropriate width may be adopted as circumstances require or experience suggests.

The same width is appropriate for the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

Serial No. 86,421.

guard sections laid outside the rails of a pair, as the lower panels of highway fences approach to within about two feet and a half of the outer rails of railway tracks at such crossings.

The length of the sections may likewise be varied as desired, ,a sixteen foot sheet being found a convenient length from which to form one section of the guard ordinarily.

Each metal sheet forming a guard section A is bent or folded transversely to form, beginning at one end, a vertical nailing or fastening edge 1, a semicircular tie-brid ing section 2, an inclined face 3 reaching from said curved section 2 downward toward the base of a proximate tie B, a short horizontal section 4 reaching from the lower boundary of surface 3 to the upright side face of said proximate tie B, a vertical nailing or fastoning face 5, an inclined section 6, overhanging the longer inclined surface 3 but preferably diverging somewhat therefrom, and a reversely bent short section 7, producing at its junction with the surface 6 an acute angle or sharp edge 8. The higher boundary of surface 7 joins by a bend or angle with a second long inclined surface 3, and the several bends or angles, and intermediate surfaces t, 5, 6, and 7 and 3 are repeated, until the last of the surfaces 3 is reached. This surface is somewhat shorter than corresponding surfaces 3, and the free end or edge of the sheet is bent downward to lie against the vertical face of the tie at that point, to which it is secured by nails, lag screws, or other suitable fastenings 10.

To afford adequate bearing and support 'for the portions 3, the upper faces of the ties are advisably beveled or chamfered, as shown, and similar fastenings 10 may be passed through perforations in the metal at these points, and also through the upright portions 5.

By this mode of bending or forming the sheets or plates of metal, there are formed surfaces 3 of such inclination that an animals hoof or foot resting thereon will slide. downward into the pocket 9, formed by said, inclined surface 3, the overhanging section 6, and the intermediate connecting portions. The pockets 9 are of such depth that a backward movement is necessary to withdrawal of the hoof or foot therefrom, and the angle or sharp edge 8 is at such point that any attempt of the animal to advance or to bring its leg to erect position will cause its shin or leg to bear directly against such edge, producing such pain as will cause backward movement to be made.

While it is preferred to make the several bends described, it will be seen that more or less variation is permissible, provided a fairly deep pocket 9 be formed, and a reasonably sharp edge 8 be produced. These two characteristic features I regard as important, and as giving special efficiency to the guard.

In order to produce as smooth surfaces as possible, to insure slipping of the foot or hoof of an animal, and to the end that the metal may be sharply bent or folded without fracture and without warping or distortion, giving clean sharp angles and edges, I use plain, flat or uncorrugated sheets. These may be galvanized or otherwise protected against rust, if desired, but should not be roughened in any way that might afiord a foothold or prevent slipping on the surfaces 3. Corrugated sheets are to be avoided because of their added cost, the impracticability of making clean, sharp bends therein, and the foothold they afford, particularly if an animal take an oblique path across the guard.

The guard sections A are laid with the end 12 toward the wagon road or highway from which the approach of animals is likely to occur, thus causing the pockets 9 and sharp edges 8 to stand directly in their path and in position to receive their hoofs or feet and engage their legs or shins if a forward movement be made or it be attempted to bring the leg to vertical position while the hoof or foot is in a pocket.

As pointed out, each guard section consists of a single sheet of metal with straight line transverse bends, hence can readily be made by simple machinery or implements, without liability of fracture, warping or twisting, and the sections may consequently be laid and secured in place rapidly and without difficulty, by unskilled laborers. A multiplicity of small parts, requiring independent spacing and adjustment, and a great number of fastenings, is avoided.

The unit sections can be nested for storage or transportation owing to the slight divergence of the surfaces 3 and 6 above noted and the consequent widening of the pockets 9 toward their open upper ends. The smooth surfaces also permit water or moisture to drain off, thereby lessening the danger of rusting.

Similar guards will of course be employed at opposite sides of the wagon road or highway, but reversed in position so that the sharp edges 8 and pockets 9 shall face animals moving in either direction away from the wagon road.

It is of course feasible to make the guard between the rails of a pair of one wide sheet instead of two narrower sheets, but this is not deemed desirable ordinarily, though within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 2- 1. A cattle guard comprising unit sections of sheet metal, each bent to form a succession of pockets inclining downward in the direction of advance of animals to be guarded against, each pocket having a sharp edge at that side toward which the animals move.

2. A railway cattle guard, comprising a series of metallic sheets to be placed between and outside the rails of a railway track, each sheet bent to form a succession of downwardly inclined pockets at such inter vals as to fall between the railway ties, each pocket having at the side opposite that from which the approach of animals is to be prevented, a sharp upper edge, substantially as set forth.

8. In combination with the ties and rails of a railway track, a cattle guard consisting of sheet metal plates laid between and outside the track rails, and bent or folded to produce inclined pockets 9 extending clownward between successive ties, said pockets having each a sharp angular upper edge at the side opposite that from which approach is to be guarded.

4. A railway cattleguard comprising a series ofunit sections, each formed of sheet metal, bent to form downwardly inclined pockets with a sharp upper edge at one side, said sections being laid lengthwise between and outside the rails of the track and secured to the ties.

5. A cattle guard for railways, consisting of a series of sheet metal unit sections of like form and dimensions, each section bent to produce downwardly inclined pockets of lessening width toward their bottoms, and with sharp upper edges at their shorter sides, whereby the sections are adapted to be nested for storage, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PATRICK A. PHENEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

